Beto O'Rourke in 2012 said the US had an 'extravagant government' that needed 'significant' spending [View all]

[brooklynite]

CNN

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke campaigned during his 2012 congressional race on a platform that called for "significant" spending cuts and tax increases to balance the federal budget, along with possibly changing Social Security to address the United States' "extravagant government" and "out of control" debt.

A CNN KFile review of interviews, debates, newspaper articles and ads from O'Rourke's 2012 race reveals more about his past views and beliefs as he seeks the Democratic nomination in 2020.

O'Rourke at the time endorsed cuts to defense and domestic spending in the middle and long term, along with seriously considering changes to Social Security and tax laws that would do away with some tax breaks. Those past positions are at odds with the current and more progressive liberal base of the party that has largely embraced increased government programs like cost-free college and "Medicare for All."
The deficit and national debt are no longer major parts of O'Rourke's political message, and though sometimes light on specifics, he's signaled support for the Green New Deal and, at times, universal health care coverage -- two proposals that would require increased government spending.

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O'Rourke raised cutting military spending and bringing troops home from Afghanistan, but also singled out Social Security as an area for reform, specifically citing means-testing and extending the retirement age.